WIC Watch - California WIC Association

SPECIAL CONFERENCE EDITION
SPRING 2015
INSIDE
THIS ISSUE
Harnessing the
Power of Collaboration
“W
IC serves 60% of infants born in California.” What kind of response do
you get when you tell people this? Do they ask you to repeat that statistic
so they can make sure they heard you correctly? You may experience such an
incredulous response from community partners and decision makers who don’t
yet understand California WIC’s services and scope of reach.
Yes, we have a great responsibility and opportunity to impact the
health of low-income young families, who are often most at risk for chronic
disease and experience the greatest health disparities. There has never been a
time with more potential for WIC to excel as a key partner providing support for
improved nutrition, physical activity and breastfeeding.
Health care reform is being built on concepts of prevention, quality
improvement, collaboration and innovation. As a program, WIC has always been
about prevention, with 40 years’ experience in quality improvement. Collaboration
is how WIC agencies maximize resources and build reliable community safety
nets. There’s a physical infrastructure of hundreds of local WIC clinics in every
county in California, and the largest public health workforce of nutrition and
breastfeeding experts. No wonder WIC is the logical partner for innovative
models of delivery for preventive services and workforce development
with public and private partners!
Vol. 15 No. 2
nAnnual Conference
Highlights........................................ 2
nCWA News....................................... 4
• Meet Our Staff
• Thank You, Laurie True
nLocal Agency News...................... 6
• Northeast Valley Health
Corporation
• Santa Barbara County
• San Bernardino County
• United Health Centers of
San Joaquin Valley
nLegislative Update........................ 8
• Federal News
• State Legislation
• WIC Makes Sense Campaign
nScholarship News.......................... 9
• CNC Scholarship Awardees
CONFERENCE SPONSORS
WELCOME RECEPTION
PLATINUM
nWIC Worksite Wellness............ 10
•
•
•
•
GOLDSILVER
City of Long Beach
Community Medical Centers
Solano County
Recertification Report
CONFERENCE BEVERAGE BREAK: DANNON
bronze
Delta Drugs • Hansen Beverage Company
Health Net Community Solutions • Masimo • MOM Brands
National WIC Association • Prime Time Nutrition
C a l i f o rni a W I C Ass o ci a t i o n
1450 Drew Ave., Ste 150, Davis,CA 95618
(530) 750-2280 • Fax (530) 758-7780
E-mail: [email protected] • www.calwic.org
SPECIAL CONFERENCE EDITION
WATCH
SPRING 2015
Welcome to the 23rd Annual CWA Conference and Trade Show! This year’s theme, Plugged In:
Harnessing the Power of Collaboration, encourages us to focus on improving our knowledge and
skills to better utilize collective resources and partnerships.
We hope this conference inspires you to undertake strategic and innovative efforts to ensure that the WIC program
impacts health outcomes and reduces health disparities in
our communities. During this historic time of reform — with
health systems adopting the Triple Aim: improved health,
better care, and reduced cost — WIC is a key partner in
promoting health equity.
Be sure to share the ideas, inspiration and resources
you find here in the San Francisco Bay Area with your colleagues back home.
TWO PRE-CONFERENCE WORKSHOPS
provide continuing education on Sunday to invigorate your
professional practice:
• Marsha Walker and Laurel Wilson will guide attendees
through an intensive four-workshop Clinical
Breastfeeding Day, covering anatomy & physiology
of breasts, suck dysfunction, evidence-based solutions
for delayed lactogenesis and other breastfeeding
problems.
• The folks from Be Present, Inc., will take
attendees through proven processes for Leading
Collaboratively at the Intersection of Race,
Gender, Class & Power.
Every Child
Deserves the Best Nutrition
Because
Medela - from Hospital to Home™
WIC and Medela share a mutual commitment to breastfeeding
because breastmilk provides important protection and the best
nutrition for every child. Working together, we can provide the
healthiest choice in nutrition.
Harmony™
Breastpump
Symphony®
Breastpump
Personal
Double Pump
www.medela.com
1.800.435.8316
PLENARY SPEAKERS share their energy and
experiences on Monday and Wednesday:
• Leadership Coach Rick VanDermyden
challenges us to lead through change
by Connecting, Collaborating and
Communicating with our teams to
impact our communities.
• Sasha Hernandez, The Resource
Connection, Brandi Gates, West Oakland Health
Center, and Pamela Martinez, Toiyabe Indian Health
Project, speak from the heart about why WIC Makes
Sense.
• Dr. Robert Emmons of UC Davis
explores with us The
Science and Application
of Gratitude.
© 2014 Medela, Inc.
Page 2
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SPECIAL CONFERENCE EDITION
• Dr. Connie Mitchell, Deputy Director,
Center for Family Health, CDPH, outlines
the Social Determinants of Family
Health and new ways to integrate these
in working with young families.
• Robert Lee, National WIC Association, and a Men
and Dads at WIC panel — Muswamba Mwamba,
Fidel Garcia, and Torey Carrick —
make the case for engaging dads
and partners at WIC while respecting
cultural and environmental realities.
• Christine Nelson, California
WIC Director, Jesus Mendoza, USDA Western
Region, Rev. Douglas Greenaway, National WIC
Association, Karen Farley and Laurie True, CWA,
will provide program and policy updates at state and
federal levels.
FIVE CONCURRENT WORKSHOP TRACKS
are designed to bring topical expertise right to you:
• Breastfeeding & Early Feeding
• Nutrition & Healthy Living
• Leadership & Wellness
• Cultural Diversity & Collaboration
• Additional Sessions
Conference attendees can engage with top speakers on
a variety of topics, such as:
• Jeannette Panchula, on cue-based bottle feeding
and Jane Heinig, on toddler behavior & feeding
• Vanessa Annibali, on breastfeeding taboos and
Patty Novak, on children with special needs
• Patty Novak, on neurological disorders and
Monique Sims, on faith-based family support
Manuel Villacorta, on anti-aging superfoods and
Jo Ann Hattner, on pro-biotic foods
• Ernie Navarro, on leadership and Arlene Taylor, on
communicating effectively
Plus more insights from our pre-conference and plenary
presenters and panels, on breastfeeding ethics &
epigenetics, teamwork, and involving fathers
Whichever track you choose, be sure and take back to
your colleagues new knowledge, tools, and best practices
for integrating cultural sensitivity, leadership and wellness
in your work together.
www.calwic.org SPRING 2015
THE TRADE SHOW & EXHIBITS, featuring
nearly 50 booths, give you a chance to see, feel, taste, and
try out new foods,
clinical products,
and publications
from industry reps.
You can also learn
about key government programs
and nonprofit
services, all while
networking with
your colleagues
and partners. Don’t forget to connect with your WIC peers
at Local Agency Sharing Exhibits, concurrent with the
Trade Show, and learn about wellness, customer service,
and other ways to improve your program.
SPECIAL EVENTS include Tuesday evening’s
California Nutrition Corps (CNC) Reception, where
we’ll not only “Meet the Future” as we recognize our CNC
scholarship winners and WIC
Dietetic Interns, but we’ll have
some mind-blowing fun with
mentalist Adrian Saint.
Many of you practice WIC
Worksite Wellness at your own
worksites, and keeping fit and
alert at the conference should be
no different. Rise and shine with
Yoga in the morning, and Move
to the Groove at lunch. Wednesday’s
Waterfront Walk & Run for Fun
will be a blast for teams and individuals. Finally, we look forward to honoring seven local agencies certified this
year as Well WIC Worksites.
NEXT STEPS: If you couldn’t join
us this year, visit the CWA conference web page to download select presentation materials, available only through
May. Then, plan to join us at the 2016 Annual Conference & Trade Show, April 17-20, 2016. We’ll be back
at the Town & Country Resort in San Diego for more great
education, networking, and recharging!
Page 3
WATCH
SPECIAL CONFERENCE EDITION
SPRING 2015
CWA News
Meet Our Staff!
We’ve introduced the CWA staff below, so you know who to reach out to with your questions or ideas.
We’re eager to use our years of expertise to serve YOU, the California WIC local agency employees.
Be sure to say hello if you see us at Conference!
Karen Farley, RD, IBCLC, Executive Director, has
been with CWA since 2002. She
focuses her relationship-building
skills and passion for partnerships,
advocacy, and training on working
for health care reform, breastfeeding
support, and WIC innovations. When
not at work, she enjoys spending
time with her family, including tending their large garden with fruit trees.
Lena Workman, Administrator since 2005, handles
CWA’s administrative and financial
operations, and whips together the
Conference program and other publications as needed. She enjoys the
outdoors when it is neither too hot
nor too cold and relatively bug-free.
She has a general distaste for frogs
and toads.
Laurie True, MPH, Strategic Advisor,
helps out part-time with strategic
advice and grants management. She
was CWA’s Director from 1999-2014,
and is now creating a public health
advocacy training program at UC
Berkeley’s School of Public Health.
In between, she hikes with friends and family, tries to
grow vegetables, and spoils her two small dogs.
Donna Hoffman, Program Coordinator since 2010,
manages the WIC Ambassador Program and grassroots advocacy campaigns like WIC Makes Sense. A
CLEC training graduate, she oversees
conference workshop selection and
works closely with Karen on State
and Federal policy issues. Outside
work, Donna enjoys travel, photography, cooking, and being with
9-month-old son Theo!
Page 4
Meghan Saddler, Administrative Coo rdinator since
2011, handles event registrations,
bills & checks, mail & phones, answers lots of questions, and takes
care of odds & ends in general. She
is kept on her toes with a toddler at
home and could be considered the
Crazy Cat Lady of the office. She
inspires us with her daily walks.
Margaret Aumann, MPH, RD, Communications Coordinator since 2011, edits the CWA Flash e-newsletter,
compiles the WIC Watch magazine,
maintains the website and WIC Can
Help campaign, hosts webinars,
co-manages WIC Worksite Wellness,
and is studying to become a CLEC.
She likes to swim, hike, bike, and
make music – with or without her
two college-age kids.
Teresa Morris, Conference Planning Consultant and
with CWA since 2010, plans and
manages the Annual Conference &
Trade Show and Fall Management
Conference. When she’s not acting as
our “Ace Organizer,” she enjoys keeping active, cooking, volunteering, and
spending time with her family.
www.calwic.org
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SPECIAL CONFERENCE EDITION
SPRING 2015
CWA News
Thank You, Laurie True
This year marks a big transition for CWA, the WIC
community and our partners, as Laurie True steps
down as Executive Director to focus on working with
our future leaders. While she will remain at CWA for
2015 as Strategic Advisor, Laurie will be working with
public health graduate students at UC Berkeley as
they learn to be strong advocates and leaders.
Laurie brought extensive experience in hunger
prevention advocacy when she joined CWA, then a
fledgling non-profit, 14 years ago. Since then CWA
has built capacity and gained reputation as a state
and national advocacy organization, working to protect the WIC program and participants and reduce
health inequities for young, low-income families.
We are deeply grateful for the ways Laurie has
contributed on many fronts at the helm of CWA.
She has worked diligently to protect WIC program
services, advocated on behalf of local agencies, and
provided expert analysis and testimony on program
quality, cost containment, and integrity. A policy
strategist with long-range vision, Laurie was instrumental in crafting and shaping multiple strategies that
improved breastfeeding outcomes in California. Laurie
has been a resource for state and national hunger
and equity advocates and always strives to ‘connect
the dots’ and maximize our collective resources.
We have much to be thankful for as we know
that, in her new position, Laurie will give her students
the best possible experience and guidance as they
develop skills and join us in the workplace, becoming
our next generation of leaders.
Get &
stay connected!
Visit CWA on Facebook!
(Search for California WIC Association.)
Follow us on Twitter, too!
You’ll find us at www.twitter.com/calwic!
Help Your Clients Get More Out of Every Box!
Great Nutrition
Inside and Out
Kellogg’s cereal offers delicious
nutrition and encourages
consumption of fruit and milk,
perfect partners for a great start!
Cereal Beyond Breakfast
Try Kellogg's cereals in tasty WIC-friendly
recipes that stretch food dollars, boost
fiber intake, and encourage healthy cooking
habits. For recipes and healthy living
articles you can use with your clients,
Visit: Healthybeginnings.com.
What an Opportunity!
Many clients are not using all of their
cereal allowance.
Help your clients experience all of the
benefits of cereal and other WIC foods
with resources that show how healthy
habits can be enjoyable and achievable.
Visit: Kelloggsnutrition.com/WIC
for tools and resources.
Laurie and CWA staff celebrate Well WIC Worksite certification
at the 2013 Annual Conference.
www.calwic.org ®,™, © 2015 Kellogg NA Co.
Page 5
WATCH
SPECIAL CONFERENCE EDITION
SPRING 2015
Local Agency News
If you’re attending the Conference, be sure to visit these and other Local Agency Sharing Exhibits
to learn about some great best practices. If you’re not attending, here’s a glimpse into some
of the great strategies shared by your WIC peers!
Cultural Traditions in
Breastfeeding
Walk-in Wednesdays &
Morning Passes
Northeast Valley Health Corporation
Santa Barbara County Public Health
O
S
ver the years, WIC staff at NEVHC in the San Fernando
and Santa Clarita Valleys had observed several breastfeeding moms with different cultural backgrounds following
eating patterns believed to increase breastmilk supply. Staff
wanted to learn more about these practices and how to
counsel these women appropriately.
So the CSU Northridge/NEVHC WIC Dietetic Interns
designed an in-service training on different breastfeeding
cultures and the foods believed to increase breastmilk supply, to identify similarities among all countries and help staff
create an action plan to promote breastfeeding globally.
Four Interns researched and presented about infant
mortality and breastfeeding rates, key people who influence
breastfeeding decisions, cultural beliefs around breastfeeding, and recipes for foods believed
to increase milk supply for eight
countries: Ghana, Vietnam, Thailand, India, Israel, Philippines, Mexico,
and Armenia. In true participantcentered fashion, they included food
samples and hands-on activity.
Most importantly, they concluded
with tips for culturally-sensitive counseling, including motivational interviewing, withholding judgment, and
avoiding pushing one’s own cultural
beliefs. Their advice to “be sensitive
to cultural practices by incorporating
the foods they believe to increase milk
supply but tailoring it if necessary”
makes sense. Acting on strongly-held
beliefs and following cultural traditions
can give the breastfeeding mother
confidence and comfort, even if the
practices aren’t proven to increase milk supply.
For more information, contact Erin Manlulu: [email protected].
Page 6
anta Barbara County WIC recently developed two ways
that help participants obtain WIC Services without having to have an “official” ISIS appointment:
• “Walk-In Wednesday”
allows participants without an appointment to
get WIC services at the
Betteravia WIC Clinic in
Santa Maria one afternoon at the end of every
month.
• Using a “Morning Pass,” participants can walk-in at the
North Santa Maria WIC site without an appointment
any morning in the second half of the
month.
Staff promoted both these options on
a pilot basis first, in English and
Spanish, and both have gained popularity. Participants are
served just as if they had appointments, including certifications, individual classes, and more. Enrollments aren’t
completed at this time, however, as new participants must
attend a class.
The North Santa Maria staff explained why this works
for them and for participants: “We are less busy in the mornings in the second part of
the month so we can take walk-ins and give good customer
service for everyone, appointments or not. Participants
don’t have to call the phone center at all, so there’s less
hassle for them and the phone center staff.
“It lets participants feel they have options, since they
can come in without an appointment as long as they’ve followed other program guidelines. Some participants live dayto-day and appointments don’t necessarily work for them.
The Morning Pass helps them see that it benefits them to
come when we can serve them quickly.”
For more information, contact Jane Boone-Brechwald:
[email protected].
www.calwic.org
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SPECIAL CONFERENCE EDITION
SPRING 2015
Local Agency News
Smart Tech Marketing &
Participant Education
Breastfeeding Training
for the Fun of It
San Bernardino County Public Health
United Health Centers
T
hroughout the past two years, San Bernardino County
Department of Public Health WIC expanded and improved their infrastructure for delivering participant centered education and marketing, focusing on technology in
three main ways:
1. On their updated webpage, participants (at over
10,000 visits per month!)
can make appointments
or apply for benefits, get news about WIC nutrition
campaigns, and easily access information about WIC
services. Visitors can also connect via new and ongoing social media platforms .
2. All classrooms and staff cubicles have the technology to offer education through a variety of electronic
media—such as PowerPoint slideshows, videos, and
YouTube clips—designed to provide tailored nutrition
education messages. At prenatal visits, for example,
staff offers each participant a menu of education
delivery options (group, individual, or online) and a
selection of lesson topics. Staff will click on the topic
chosen and launch the corresponding education presentation.
3. Videos produced in-house, including some that feature
their own WIC participants, are shown
in clinic lobbies and
on their YouTube
platform and website. The videos
cover educational
topics, promotional topics, and WIC events.
Their goals? To increase exclusive breastfeeding rates
and build opportunities for education, trust, and better
connections with WIC families. Check out their website at
www.SBCounty.gov/wic or contact Monica Haag (mhaag@
dph.sbcounty.gov) or James Marin (Jame.Marin@dph.
sbcounty.gov) for more information.
I
f you “have” to do something, you might as well have
fun with it, right? That’s what United Health Centers
(UHC) WIC decided in 2012 as they prepared to offer
the required seven hours of
breastfeeding training under
the theme, “It’s all about the
Gold.” That year, a “California
Gold Rush” theme influenced
decorations, costumes, and
training presentation delivery.
Staff evaluations revealed
that employees were not only
Mexican decorations and costumes
enthusiastic about the experi- surround Beth Arrindell as she
ence, but wanted more! So in presents on breastfeeding beyond
one year.
2014, a “Mexican Fiesta” tied
in Mexico’s gold production, along with breastfeeding rates
and struggles, and how that may impact UHC WIC participants. Staff sang a lactation song to Mariachi music and ate
a delicious catered Mexican lunch.
To create a fun training event, UHC staff use the
acronym FUN, of course!
F = Find a metaphor or connection. U = Utilize resources. N = Note ideas from staff talents and interests, party
ideas and community events. Each year employee evaluations help shape the topic
and “excursion” for the following year. This August, staff is
already thinking about costumes,
decorations and learning about the
topics that they suggested for an
“African Safari.”
For 2016, will staff vote for
an “Alaskan Cruise,” “Hollywood
Superheroes” or “Thailand’s Floating Market? Who knows, but it’ll
Six different “safari” learnbe FUN! For further information or ing stations will feature
elephant signs that Patricia
ideas, contact Kathleen Harriss:
Preciado got from the [email protected]. logical Society at UHC’s next
FUN Breastfeeding Training.
www.calwic.org Page 7
WATCH
SPECIAL CONFERENCE EDITION
SPRING 2015
Legislative Update
WIC Makes
Sense Campaign
WIC Reauthorization
Needs YOU!
C
ongress will reauthorize the WIC Program in 2015, as it
does every 5 years, providing an opportunity to make
program improvements. CWA is partnering with National
WIC Association on aligning the list of asks for program
improvements. Ideas include serving children up to age six years,
preconception health support, and
innovative partnerships. Visit http://
calwic.org/policy-center/federal for
materials in months to come.
What’s the most important
action you can take now? Host
your elected representatives
and their staff for a visit to your
clinic. Many legislators don’t realize
the need for WIC services in their
districts, or that WIC provides nutrition and breastfeeding
support in addition to healthy foods. They don’t realize the
positive impact on the retail environment from the WIC
C
WA needs your help with WIC Makes Sense, a straightforward education campaign directed at decision makers during the 2015 WIC Reauthorization period. Like past
efforts on the new food package rollout and We Need WIC
campaigns, we will ask for your
help collecting comments or
short videos from participants,
staff and community members
about why WIC Makes Sense
for families and communities.
In the upcoming months, CWA will
make available simple materials
and ideas for collecting comments
about the vital services WIC provides. Stay tuned!
State Budget Surplus and Bills
G
overnor Brown made it clear when he began his historic fourth term this year with a good problem — a
call to your representative’s office and invite them. Plan
budget surplus — that he would focus on debt reduction
to make this call by May 30. Questions? Contact Donna at
and targeted obligations. Despite signs of a recovering
[email protected].
economy, the Golden State remains among the worst
in the nation for poverty at 23%,
especially for children. Plus safety
net programs for children and families
are still seriously impacted by drastic
cuts from 2007-09. Child and family
advocates are focusing efforts this year
on strategically rebuilding key programs as poverty reduction measures.
CWA will follow a number of bills
addressing poverty and health equity.
Check for updates on our State Policy
page at http://calwic.org/policy-center/
Welch’s is proud to be a Gold Sponsor of state or contact Donna at dhoffman@
food package. Your first step is to simply make a phone
the California WIC Association’s 2015 Annual Conference!
Page 8
calwic.org.
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SPECIAL CONFERENCE EDITION
SPRING 2015
Scholarship News
2014-2015 California Nutrition Corps Scholarship Winners
CWA congratulates all winners, with sincere thanks to
General Mills for their ongoing support. All are Dietetic
Interns, except where noted.
American Red Cross WIC San Diego
Nare Davoodi
Qiaoling Gong, Stefan Harvey Award
Butte County Public Health
Carrie Percy
Contra Costa County
Anamarie Orgera
Indian Health Care Center
of Santa Clara
Lauren Gendler (Graduate)
Inland Behaviorial Health Services
Sha-Knecia Payne (Graduate)
Northeast Valley Health Center
Christy Helvestine
Ruben Vargas
www.calwic.org PHFE
Brooke Adams
Wendy Ceja-Garcia, Anne Garrett Memorial Award
Audrey Cristales
Esmeralda Garcia, Anne Peterson Memorial Award
Sarah Getachew, General Mills Award
Valerie Ward (Undergraduate)
Planned Parenthood of Orange & San Bernardino Counties
Cristina Pessegueiro, General Mills Award
Riverside County
Stacey Doolin
San Diego State University Research Foundation
Edgar Gomez (Undergraduate)
Caitlin Jackson
Scripps Mercy
Jaime Rangel
Stanislaus County
Keirnin Harris
United Health Centers
Rana Eghtesadi
Page 9
WATCH
SPECIAL CONFERENCE EDITION
SPRING 2015
Worksite Wellness
City of Long Beach WIC
Gets Leaner & Meaner
“E
xhausted, restless, and over nourished” is how the City
of Long Beach WIC employees described their wellness
status prior to December 2013. Then began their journey
toward improving team attitudes and behaviors for optimal
health, with over 71 percent of team members indicating
their readiness to take steps in
that direction!
Team members started bringing heathier foods for potlucks,
lunches and snacks, with salad
often the main meal. Each of five
sites designated a team member
as the “Wellness Angel” to keep
staff motivated, provide fruit and vegetable snacks for gatherings, and spearhead group walks or stretch breaks. Movement for fitness is now the norm at each team
meeting. The Healthy WIC Buck Program helps catch
people in the act of making healthy choices. Staff can
join an after-work walking club or yoga/meditation hour.
Some employees tried new
outdoor sports, such as
paddle boarding, Mud Runs,
Color Runs, and wilderness
hikes, while others enrolled
in regular Zumba classes.
Several brave souls completed the 2014 Long Beach
International City Bank Marathon and Half Marathon, Relay
for Life, and the 5th Annual Orange County Walk for Water!
Many employees developed personal wellness goals for
2014. Their “U Above All - In It to Thin It” weight loss program motivated 75% of team members to pursue healthier
eating and more activity. Over seven months, they lost a
total of 107 pounds! During Public Health Week last April (this year’s is April
6-10), the entire WIC Team led other Health Department
staff in the annual 2.5 mile Hill Challenge. They say, “We
are now a LEANER and MEANER force to reckon with!”
Motivational wellness quotes, newsletters, and wellness
segments during meetings keep staff excited to be a part of
the WIC Worksite Wellness family.
Community Medical Centers
WIC: Helping Each Other Out
L
ong before earning Well WIC Worksite certification in
November 2014, Community Medical Centers, Inc. WIC
had been promoting employee health and wellness. Keeping
the momentum of activities once
started with enthusiasm isn’t
always easy, yet CMC WIC has
maintained walking and workout
groups over the last few years.
Groups of staff take neighborhood walks around their WIC
sites during break time. And
those wanting to take it up a
notch join in a 30-minute group strength training class during lunch several days
a week.
CMC’s Worksite
Wellness team has
initiated some fun and
exciting activities, including staff potlucks,
a delicious homemade
salsa tasting contest,
and professional salsa dance instruction at an all-staff
meeting. Each month, Wellness Coordinators Myrna Rosales
and Andrea Weiss post health topics in the break room,
with recipes, health screening
and exercise information.
One special way that staff
helps each other achieve wellness goals is through dietitian-led
support groups. Plus, any staff
interested in taking her personal wellness to the next level is
paired with a Registered Dietitian
on staff, who helps her along the
journey to achieve goals ranging
from weight loss to incorporating more veggies into her diet. They all know that goals
are much more easily attained with help and support from
friends and family.
Page 10www.calwic.org
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SPRING 2015
Worksite Wellness
Wellness is Contagious in Solano County
S
olano County WIC is one of a few local WWW programs
that has influenced its parent organization to embrace
worksite wellness. Presentations by the WIC Director to
the Board of Supervisors, yearly wellness challenges, and a
Kaiser grant moved the county to recently hire a worksite
wellness coordinator to bring physical activity, stress
management, and healthy eating opportunities to all county
employees. Partnering with Kaiser, the county offers yearly
health screenings
at work and an
online health
assessment. Some
WIC employees
have even won
cash prizes for
participating!
Since WIC
promotes healthy
eating and physi- Many partners helped to convince the Solano
cal activity by de- County Board of Supervisors to declare August
sign, WIC employ- “World Breastfeeding Month.
ees were often the
ones to present wellness information to all employees even
before county-wide wellness was in place. After committing
to become a Well WIC Worksite, however, wellness became
a consistent focus throughout their work.
Surveys revealed staff’s interest in personal health and
a willingness to make changes, from the type of foods and
beverages available
and exercise breaks
offered at staff
meetings to personal
habits. More teams
go for walks or use
exercise DVDs during
lunch and breaks.
Dietetic interns create
a quarterly wellness
newsletter with short Staff meetings are interactive, funny and
educational, like this food safety skit.
articles on physical
activity, nutrition,
stress management and a healthy recipe.
Staff meeting presentations about disease complications and management made employees more aware of diabetes and obesity and their own risks or condition. Several
WIC workers successfully lost weight after years of trying,
thanks to coworkers’ encouragement and support and a
Weight Watchers discount. As many Well WIC Worksites
have discovered, this kind of environment makes wellness
positively contagious!
Keep the Momentum!
If your agency has been a certified Well WIC
Worksite for at least three years, it’s time to
recertify! This process is much less involved than
the initial certification, yet shows your continued
commitment to nurturing employee health. Kudos to Planned Parenthood WIC and San
Bernardino County WIC
for recertifying since last fall!
There are 11 more agencies
who qualify, including a few
that need to fulfill just one
more requirement. Complete
and submit the recertification
form found on the CWA
website, or call Margaret or
Meghan at 530-750-2280 with your questions.
SPARK trained Solano County WIC staff to lead Family Fitness events.
www.calwic.org Page 11
California WIC Association
1450 Drew Avenue, Suite 150
Davis, CA 95618
CWA Directors
201 5 -201 6
EXECUTIVE BOARD
Rose McIsaac, President
Ampla Health WIC Program
Samar MacGregor, President Elect
PHFE WIC Program
Tracie Barrow, Past President
Sonoma County WIC Program
Debra Leigh, Treasurer
Planned Parenthood Orange County
Marcia Barnes, Secretary
Placer County WIC Program
REGIONAL REPRESENTATIVES
Irene Salazar, Orange-LA
Basin Region
Eliana Schultz, Bay Region
Mary Sammer, Great South Region
Tina Canales, Central Valley Region
Laurie Somerhausen, Delta/
Sierra Gold Region
Kelly Wilson, Sierra Cascade Region
Jennifer Remmers, North Coast Region
SMALL AGENCY CAUCUS
Shirlee Runnings
NATIVE AMERICAN
REPRESENTATIVE
Irene Mason
MEMBER-AT-LARGE
Kiran Saluja
LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE CHAIR
Vacant
Save
the Date
ENACT day
May 6, 2015
State Capitol • Sacramento
CWA FALL
MANAGEMENT CONFERENCE
October (dates TBD) • Sacramento
2016 ANNUAL CONFERENCE
April 17-20, 2016
Town & Country Resort • San Diego
Tell Your Story
& Share Your Success!
We’re now publishing the WIC Watch just twice a year.
Send us your agency’s article ideas, photos, and best practices
any time, and by September 4, 2015 for the Fall Edition.
Say
hey,
what’s
new?
To update your e-mail or mailing address, request
more copies, or submit article ideas or drafts,
contact Margaret Aumann at:
[email protected]
CWA, 1450 Drew Ave., Ste. 150 • Davis, CA 95618
530.750.2280 phone • 530.758.7780 fax
Read this and past issues of the WIC Watch online at
http://calwic.org/news-a-publications/wic-watch.
Share the link with colleagues, family & friends!
Get Ready for ENACT Day 2015
Instead of hosting our own WIC & Breastfeeding Information &
Education Day this year, CWA will join the Prevention Institute’s
Strategic Alliance for ENACT Day on May 6.
ENACT (Environmental Nutrition and Activity
Community Tool) Day brings community
residents, youth, and local organizations
together in the State Capital to focus on
education and advocacy around food,
physical activity, and health equity. Stay
tuned for more information in the CWA Flash
e-newsletter and on our website at www.
calwic.org/policy/state.